Smith was so long in the public service of the Church that his published sermons and writings would fill many volumes. The difficult problem of the compilers of this volume has been to make a collection of extracts that would do full justice to the man and that, at the same time, could be contained in a volume of moderate size. Every reader who knows Church literature will note the shortcomings of the work; and none more than the compilers. However, incomplete as it may be, this collection is well worth while, for it contains a wealth of gospel wisdom, to instruct, comfort, and inspire the Saints. The literature of the Church has been carefully and systematically searched to discover all of President Smith's public writings and sermons. Those of a historical nature have not been used in this collection, as they may well be made into another volume.

    The Mormon Church claims to be a Restoration of the original Christian Gospel, the "good news" about the Lord Jesus Christ as God's Only Begotten Son and Savior of humanity through His Atonement and Resurrection. The D&C consists primarily of revelations the Lord Jesus Christ gave to Joseph Smith, Jr., the man whom He chose as His instrument to re-establish the Kingdom of God on the Earth. The Prophet Joseph, as he is known by the Mormon faithful, formally founded the Church on April 6, 1830, and was its leader and Prophet until his martyrdom in Carthage, Illinois on June 27, 1844. Thereafter, Brigham Young assumed the Presidency of the Church, and became its "Prophet, Seer and Revelator." It was under Young's guidance that the largest group of Latter-day Saints left the state of Illinois and other surrounding states, emigrating to the Rocky Mountain West in 1847.The D&C offers unique insight into the emergence and workings of the fledgling Church as, under Christ's guidance, Smith and other leaders brought forth the doctrines and praxis of Mormonism.This commentary, the work of two eminent Mormon scholars, explains the historical context of the revelations comprising the D&C, and shows how, over time, institutional Mormonism emerged from its primitive gospel/seeker roots and gradually assumed the institutional shape and doctrinal content familiar to many in the 21st century. Notwithstanding its age, this commentary remains as an authoritative gloss on much of the D&C. Highly recommended!